The War in Iraq as an Extension of American Principles.

Written by Eli Painted Crow,
Specialist First Class,
to Stars and Stripes, May 2, 2004.

Dear Editor:
Being recently deployed to Iraq I have been introduced to the Stars and Stripes newspaper. I find some of the editorials interestingly limited in thinking. The other day I read an article (27 April), which spoke of the principles that the United States was founded on. The writer went on to encourage readers to study the history of the United States to bring back awareness of these principles and to stop criticizing our President for actions taken to protect our country.

I could not agree more with this writer; however I do propose a different point of view of these principles and values of which the United States was founded on. This point of view is often ignored and goes unspoken. This point of view is from the original people of America the Native American.

According to the history as it was told to me, the United States was built on a foundation of killing, lying, stealing and cheating, not to mention a hatred for a people they did not understand nor wanted to. There wasn’t enough room on this land for the Indian and the European. The greed, aggression, invasion and almost an extermination of a people that already flourished on this land now called the United States of America. These principles and behaviors that founded this Nation has been consistent over the last 200 plus years.

This country operates under a blind faith. A true faith requires no defense or a need to be right. A blind faith feels the need to defend and impose on others in order to feel safe and righteous. Our country operates under the belief systems of fear, scarcity and superiority; we are so full of self importance. We are rude and disrespectful and are greatly offended when we feel disrespected. I was once told “You cannot give away what you do not have for yourself.” We have no self respect because we use the magic of words to justify all we do. Our word is of little value, we have learned to use fancy language to confuse the people and we don’t say what we mean or mean what we say. We are always so busy talking we fail to listen. We hear but rarely listen. We are quick to tell people how it should be, if they want it done right.

911 was a sad situation and any loss of life hurts human beings. All things come to a full circle even the lessons we impose on others will come back to teach us. We think ourselves so superior that we think we have to be in everyone else’s business while our own house continues to need a lot of cleaning. We were appalled by the 911 act of violence, but we were founded on violence so what could we expect. We are so full of ourselves that the idea we were attacked was shocking and offending. Did we really think that we were so great and superior that no one would ever challenge us? We have the” we will show them” attitude and now our sons, daughters, husbands and wives are dying, sure we will show them: That we bleed just like they do. We cry for our loved ones lost to this self importance just like they will. In the end it is the politician who will continue to feed our arrogance to justify these deaths.

Where is Bin Laden? How did we get to 911 Bin Laden and the Taliban to weapons of mass destruction to Saddam Hussein to freeing the people of Iraq? How much do we really care about the Iraqi’s freedom? I guess enough to send us to die for them. It’s their freedom we are fighting for and they did not even ask us to free them. Do they think it is worth having their family members killed and their children caught in a fire fight? Have we really asked them what they want from us or do we just go ahead and impose our belief system because our way is the only way. How can we expect to have peace by creating war; it only oppresses people to conform to the standards of the oppressor. Our history is full of this example. This land has known wars for centuries and we think were going to change that? I find no honor in this fear based truth. You can only cover a lie with another lie. We have lived it for 200 + yrs. And now it is catching up to us.

My comrades are dying and their families only consolation is that they died serving their country in a foreign land. Do we have a commander and chief who is really concerned about the Iraqis freedom or is it about money and what we can get from another country or is it revenge? Revenge from whom? It is not my job to question my boss just to do what I am told regardless of what I think. But if I am going to die I want to know why and that is unclear to me and I do believe that it is my right to know as a citizen who lives where freedom was born. Please speak some truth to this heart so that I may walk a path with heart and be clear of my intentions and the truth of this walk as a soldier. If you’re asking me to fight America give me clarity for the reasons, give me the personal power I need to find honor in my death or in the death of my comrades because at this point there is only confusion as to why I am here.

Our politicians are very good at manipulating words and sparking the egos of Americans to agree too many stupid things out of Superiority and righteousness. When you spit up to the air it’s bound to hit you in the face. Effectiveness is the measure of truth. What truth are we trying to measure here? Are we being effective? What we need is personal awareness not societal domestication that sells concepts of patriotism and conformity to the majority who need something to believe in because they cannot find it for themselves.

Why do we agree to rules and follow instruction without question. It is because we are afraid of rejection from others. The biggest fear of a human being is not being good enough and we are taught at a very young age that to matter in this world we have to be the best and number one. It doesn’t really matter if you won, your right and your dead. When are we going to wake up and see if we keep doing what we have always done we will always get what we always got. We live in an illusion of superiority and are living with the drama this thinking creates.

I am part of this mess and it hurts my heart to go above my Creators laws and justify more deaths because a leader told me what they are doing is wrong and what I am doing is righteous. I have been given permission and authority to take a life and my creator will forgive me because I was being true to my country. I think my creator will ask me if being true to my country was more important than being true to his laws. What will I answer, that the laws here were more important than his? Will I be forgiven because it was in the name of God that I killed ? Or was it in the name of being right and winning and holding more value to a flag than to my Creators laws.

Wake up to the truth of the mess we made, lets acknowledge our mistake and go home. We are supposed to be an evolved people yet we continue to revert to the basics of demonstrating power through force, instead of using our most powerful tool, the tool of communication. This type of action only breeds contempt towards other nations from our young. This is how we learn to hate. Lets start being for things instead of against, why does everything have to be a fight. Let’s do more than tolerate each other because of our differences but realize the value in every life. God does not make junk! Lets not impose or righteousness on others but give them the respect to let them ask for what they need. Who are we to decide what another wants or should have.

I do not speak against our Nation only of the illusions that we are currently accepting as the truth. I believe our country is great but not because of the power we can hold over another, because that is not real power, but because we have personal power within each individual to find purpose to their lives to pave the road for a smoother walk for the next generations to come. I was taught that you always leave something better than you found it. I invite readers to look at how to make this earth walk better and leave this earth and its people better than when you got here.

I am here in Iraq because the concept of patriotism feeds the idea that freedom must be continually defended and as a citizen it would be my duty defend my country and freedom. This freedom I fight for gives me the right to submit this article. Funny, because Native people new freedom and know freedom for what it really is not this illusion this country paints. We were free until 1492 and had democracy before there was a flag or the constitution of the United States.
I must finish what I started if it is my Creators will and because I said I would be here when I signed the dotted line. My word is my word it means something to me. I had a choice to continue being oppressed in the land of the free or learn the way of the American standard to do my life. I have given twenty two years of my life to an organization because I thought it once brought honor to my family that I could learn the discipline of a warrior and act with integrity and impeccability. I find now that in my youth I had fallen into the trap of illusion that being a warrior was the same as being a soldier. A soldier is an active loyal militant follower. A warrior is born of the heart and finds strength, truth and is loyal to the path because this path gives purpose. A warrior has experienced battle and learns to act with impeccability and integrity.

So it would be a good thing for all to study the history of the United States and know what we are really founded on. Columbus did not explore a new World like you’re taught in the third grade and your children are still being taught as they enter the third grade, speaking of the Native American as though they were part of history and do not exist today. Columbus invaded another’s home, exploited a people, a land and its riches for personal gain. Look at history for what it really is. Saddam Hussein acts are only a reflection of what happened in our country a short time ago when we, the original people of the land, were dying by the masses because a tyrant viewed us as less than human. When you point a finger three point back at you. Have we forgotten, I haven’t nor have my people. I was once told “The truth will set you free but not before it makes you mad” So if you’re mad at this article what part of its truth that affects your heart. The past will continue to reflect how we have lived in this present day until we choose to change how we do what we do.

These laws of man none of which are greater than the Creators laws. Who are we kidding? We can’t manipulate the Creator with our fancy words, because he knows our hearts. The problem is most people do not know their own hearts, and are led by only their mind which traps them inside themselves. Do you know your heart and the truth that lives inside you? It takes some searching deep inside to find the answer and most are to busy doing and have forgotten to be. We are human beings, not human doings. Get over yourself America, our arrogance is killing the people we love.

Women are the peace keepers of this earth mother and the bridge builders. We have failed to make a stand to protect our children and have allowed them to die for a cause we are confused about anymore. We are the voice for our children. What needs to happen before a stand is taken? I am a mother, a daughter, a grandmother and I must stand for myself to be the example for the little ones who’s voice is taken from them at a very young age. To let them know they matter.

I hope my babies will be more evolved than we have been in solving problems. This is my attempt at making a stand for my little ones who will read about this one day. There are mothers here on this soil too who watch death happen in their front yard not on television. She cries like the rest of us.

Its time for a paradigm shift or our children will have no future to look forward to. Come on mom’s find the voice and speak your truth, I promise it will make a lot of people mad but it will set your heart free. Even if you don’t agree with a single word I have written. Make your voice be heard because that is our job to care for our families. Think of a mother bear or any mother in the four legged world. Most will die to protect their young. They take better care of their young than we do. There are too many babies here that should be home with their moms. I know because I am old enough to be their mom.

Specialist First Class Eli Painted Crow
Cedar II, Iraq

EDITOR’S NOTE:
A video of 22-year Army Veteran Eli Painted Crow speaking about her military experience, racism in the military, etc. can be viewed on YouTube (also shown above). Painted Crow’s talk was part of the“Voices of Women Veterans” workshop at the Veterans for Peace 2006 National Convention in Seattle, WA, August 11, 2006.

Stars and Stripes describes itself on its web page in the following terms:

“Stars and Stripes is a daily newspaper published for the U.S. military, DoD civilians, contractors, and their families. Unique among the many military publications, Stars and Stripes operates as a First Amendment newspaper, free of control and censorship. We have published continuously in Europe since 1942, where readers currently number around 80,000. We serve about 60,000 readers in the Pacific, where we have published a daily paper since 1945.

“Stars and Stripes maintains news bureaus in Europe, Pacific and the Middle East to provide first-hand reporting on events in those theaters. In addition to news and sports, our daily paper contains all the elements of the hometown paper our service members left behind, from “Dear Abby” to coupons, comics and crossword puzzles. In all, we publish five editions: Mideast, Europe, Japan, Korea and Okinawa.

“Currently, our Mideast Edition is command-sponsored and distributed at no charge to downrange troops. Elsewhere, you can find our paper for sale in coin boxes and at Military Exchange store locations. We also offer affordable home delivery to subscribers in several countries: England, Germany, Guam, Italy, Japan, and Korea.”

Regarding the Mideast Edition, the term “command sponsored” is not explained.

Comments will be reviewed and
posted on a daily basis.

I Just Sat and Cried.

Written by Cindy Kaylor, whose son is a soldier in Iraq. Kaylor says that has given up writing to the editors of newspapers because she knows they won’t publish them. This and other Kaylor writings were provided to us by Simone Delgado, our Peace Correspondent.

I just sat and cried….

while I watched the Senate vote on the Biden Amendment, live on C-Span.

The Amendment didn’t get enough votes.

The Amendment asked that we not allow our troops to be deployed for more than 12 months.

It didn’t pass.

There weren’t even 60 senators that think it is wrong to violate the soldiers’ contracts. There were 52 who cared....a little over half of our elected senators.

The soldiers already have contracts that say they aren’t supposed to be deployed for more than 12 months and that they are to have 18 months rest at home before being deployed again....This is constantly violated by our government.

Even though the soldiers are expected to honor their contracts to the lettter the U.S. Gov’t doesn’t feel any obligation to honor their contracts to the letter. The U.S. Gov’t doesn’t feel any obligation to honor their side of the contract...at all.

In fact they just voted to not honor the soldiers’ contracts by not voting for the Biden Amendment. Yet they say they support the troops?

...When they abuse and use and use and use and use until they are all used up.

While they are using them, they call them heroes.... and when they are done with them, they call them deadbeats...and do everything possible to not take responsibility for their healthcare....

Shame on the U.S. government for not supporting our troops and voting partisan lines instead. All hail King George!...Because that is what you are doing.

—Cindy Kaylor
—Military Mom

EDITOR’S NOTE:
“On Monday May 14, the day after mother's day, 33 activists, military mothers and their supporters, were arrested in the middle of the intersection at Independence and New Jersey Avenues outside the Capitol building in DC.

“Cindy Kaylor, a woman from Illinois whose son is currently deployed to Iraq, was repeating one phrase as she was being incarcerated by the police: ‘I want my sone home from Falluja!’”

Kaylor’s arrest is documented on YouTube, (also shown above) which also provided this quoted text.

Comments will be reviewed and
posted on a daily basis.